Cora Chronicles
by Nigrescence
Summary: Cora embarks from a nightmare into her everday life of apathy and guns, when a stranger makes a vague appearance in her life. Chasing ghosts of this figure, or what she thinks is ghosts, Cora must face the truth about her past and prepare for the future.


Cora Chronicles

(Expect an UNEXPECTED scene with matrial artist, Hwoarang!)

Sorry for the very-long chapter! When I'm writing, I write!

-Nigrescence

_There they were alone in the forest, their last night together in the darkest of hours. The blonde boy struggled before her. His words were broken, painful, and he stood there full of grief. And there was her hand, outstretched for comfort; just one last touch. But he backed away, shoved her away, and raised the beretta to his right temple. Cora slumped back against the ground, her heart shuddering with each exhale. Was she really seeing this? 'Why would he...? How could he...?' she wondered.  
  
He said it.  
  
"I love you. Forever and then some." And her heart sunk. Footsteps were closing in behind them; men with AR-15s, clad in black suits, and utilizing ninja-stealth. Taisuke knew they were coming. Cora knew they were sure to be captured, but as always, Taisuke had an escape plan. But this...? This wasn't the plan. Not the plan they'd discussed the night before. Or those nights when they'd sneak out together and enjoy the life beyond the compound, beyond the beatings, the training, the executions they witnessed. This damn sure wasn't it. Jaded eyes were turned back to him, and Cora's expression softened. She raised a hand to her mouth and shook her head. And he took his steps back, shaking his head as tears were forming in his eyes. He loved her. And she loved him.  
  
"T-tai. Don't. We can take them." Cora pleaded. "We can kill them and leave! Tai! Please!--"  
  
"Quiet." he sobbed.  
  
"Taisuke! Please, don't do this!"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
He watched her a moment, swallowing hard against the pain that'd risen in his heart. The tears she produced saddened him and he backed away a bit more, shaking his head. She listened as he pleaded for forgiveness from both the Lord and from her. God knows he didn't want to end it. Leave her behind. He knew she needed him now more than anything.  
  
"I'm sorry, Core." he murmured, blinking away the tears. Core. For once he hadn't ruffled her hair and called her kid like he'd done so many times before. She knew she'd truly miss that if he were to leave. She wouldn't have it. She had to try something to change his mind. Angrily, Cora twisted the engagement ring on her finger and held out her hand toward him so he could see the diamond.  
  
"No! I don't believe you're sorry! You promised! You said you'd marry me when we'd escape this hell!" she sobbed, fighting back tears. She worked to stand, grabbing a handful of dirt to throw at him. "You said you'd never leave me!"  
  
"This is for the better!" The mound of dirt slapped him in the face. He leveled his voice to hers. "If they... If they find you, Core," He bit his lower lip and shook his head. His heart was breaking with each word he gave and each tear she formed. He brushed away some of the dirt from his eyes. "If they find you. Us together... They'd kill You! Don't you see?"  
  
"Tai..." Cora's voice broke into a whisper. She raised a hand to her heart. "I won't let them. Please come with me. We can run away again and and--"  
  
"You don't see..." he whispered, staring at her. "They'll kill you too. Core, with me gone, you can live! You'll go on, find yourself a respectable young man, and have the happiest life you could ever dream of!" He shook his head sorrowfully. "Even have kids Core. If they find us, we're both dead. They'll kill me and you. You reaching your dreams Core. That's what matters. That's what matters to me."  
  
"But you're supposed to be that respectable young man, Tai! God, so help me, I love you!"  
  
"If you love me, you'll turn away. You'll leave this place and never look back! Promise me!"  
  
"I can't do that. I-"  
  
"Promise me, please." He watched as she cupped her mouth with her hands and shook her head.  
  
"I-I can't. Tai. I don't-"  
  
"Cora!" He angrily turned the gun on her, biting his lower lip in an effort to stave off the tears. He raised a hand to his head and cursed as he watched her cry. "Please... Don't make this difficult!"  
  
Cora frowned. He now had the gun on her and the pain in his eyes were welling but not as quickly as it was leaving. He was serious. Serious enough to turn a gun on her, to pull the trigger. She'd seen it before. On the grounds, he would become relentless and kill anyone who tested his judgment. He killed so many. Even his best friend who the superiors had to mop up some months before. ...But it was all apart of the job, right?  
  
"Go ahead, Tai. Shoot me." she watched as his hand started to shake and his eyes became unsteady, blinking against the hurt. "What are you waiting for, Taisuke? Shoot me! Murder me!"  
  
"Cora." he narrowed his eyes. "Stop it."  
  
"Kill me! Just like you did your friend!"  
  
"Shut up, Core!" She walked toward him, staring him in the eyes.  
  
"Fill me with holes, Tai! You know you want to. Murder me like you did the other girls!" she continued, holding out her arms. She glared at him behind faint tears and cursed his name mentally between each sentence. "The superiors ordered the massacre. I'm ONE level above you, Tai! I'm your superior! I order you to terminate me!"  
  
Taisuke watched her a moment. His silence played on for more minutes than he'd wanted. She was talking a little too much. Buying time, holding him from his certain demise. That wasn't what he wanted. Hell, he didn't want any of this to be happening right now. But considering the circumstances he was in, the many people that were after him, and his face floating around in a world-wide search, there was no other way out but this one. He never wanted to start a relationship with her, never wanted her to like him for who he was. He never wanted to be in Mekatou's hands in the first place; but then he would of never met her. And she seemed to be the only thing keeping him there.  
  
She went to order him again and he saw as her mouth parted to form words. Words in which he had no desire of hearing. He wanted silence. She stepped into the gun; her chest touching the mouth of the beretta. Then her right hand reached up and held it against her, urging him to pull the trigger. Her soft eyes were cold with pain as she stared back at him. He was shaking. He loved her too much but she was asking for it. Asking that she die by his hand. If he knew her the way he thought he did, he knew she'd rather die by an enemy's sword than to live without her love. And he reckoned she thought he was now the enemy.  
  
"Well? What're you wait--" Cora's eyes widened and the scenery around her went black. His lips were pressed against hers with a hand to her chin for support. She made an effort to gasp in surprise, but he stripped her breath with an even deeper kiss. She struggled to pull away from him, pounding her fists against his chest. He didn't see it. He couldn't feel that she was drowning in tears. He'd held her with strong arms, holding her close by her shoulders against a tree, and gave her no room for retreat. She felt the cold metal of the beretta press against her stomach.  
  
He had to make her see. He needed her to hate him. To forget him and move on. She may have not wanted him to commit suicide, but he knew she could never pass up murder when it was due. He just needed her to blindly find her way out; spark that mercenary instinct within her to make her kill him. She'd remember it as a nightmare among many, but at least she'd remember something about him. Her life wouldn't be in jeopardy and her mission would be complete. Kill an enemy soldier: He played on the opposite side of the fence. It was only right.  
  
He braced her against the tree by her neck, the gun still at her middle. Her hands grasped at his clothing, trying to pry him off of her. She felt her breath waning as she choked on a shortage of air. He slipped the weapon into his holster and moved his hand over her body, stripping away at the clothing she wore. She gasped against a drift and stared down at him in horror as he brushed against her.  
  
'I-Is he raping me?' She thought. She struggled for air, working with her strength to remove his hand from her neck. Her eyes flashed and she heard her heart beating steadily within her mind. He watched her darkly, noting the dullness gathering in her eyes. He thrust against her again and her eyes flickered once more. Her vision doubled and blurred, painting over in red.  
  
Flashbacks of children sprawled out over the blood-soaked ground, a girl named Amara who seldom smiled as much as her, a little girl in a car being raped by her superior. Images of the girl's face grew bigger and she saw it was none other than herself eight years ago. More images were being fed to her as Taisuke promptly readied himself.  
  
Under the hand that grasped her neck, he noticed her breathing halting. Her eyes were widened and she faintly uttered sounds. Her shocked expression altered and her brows drew close. Her eyes narrowed, dulled in color, and looked him over.  
  
She shut her eyes tightly and cringed, and her right fist slammed against his face, throwing him off of her. She spat to the side then wiped her mouth. Taisuke fell back against the ground, glaring up at her. Her eyes were cold, stance was prompt, and breathing: steady. She was blind to who he really was. She saw him as the next target, a contract that needed to be carried out and he knew this. Taisuke slowly came to a stance, rubbing his jaw. When he looked up, Cora already had her .50 Desert Eagle unholstered and was aiming for his head.  
  
"You hit hard, hun. Care to try that again?"  
  
"Shut up!" she scowled, narrowing her eyes. She worked to control her rising anger. "You touched me! NO ONE touches me!"  
  
Taisuke watched her carefully. Traces of tears were evident within his eyes. Cora placed an index over the trigger. "You're weak. Disposable. What possessed you to put your filthy hands on me?"  
  
Taisuke winced. Her voice was cold and her eyes were icy. She truly didn't know him. Cora glanced off a moment, catching an earful of padded footsteps trotting in their direction. Turning back, her eyes widened on a chest directly in front of her. Taisuke took her into his arms and hugged her close with her head to his chest. Cora shuddered against the feeling- Something warm flickered within her. She didn't like that feeling. She fisted a hand. He kissed her forehead, said his good-bye then shoved her back, drawing his beretta.  
  
Cora fell to the floor and quickly recovered with her desert eagle aimed at him. Taisuke pulled back the trigger, sending a bullet skimming past her head and another into her shoulder. Cora fell back and cried out, grasping her shoulder. She glared up at him beneath copper bangs and tossed her desert eagle into her better hand. She caught hindsight of his finger moving to pull the trigger again and in turn, she squeezed the trigger first, releasing multiple rounds in his direction.  
  
Five of the eight shots she released impaled him in the chest, sending him hurdling back. Taisuke fell against a tree and dropped into a sit against the ground. Cora winced as she slowly stood, holding her arm, and advanced in his direction. He was covered in blood, wheezing and gasping, and staring at her. Nearing him, she kicked the beretta from his grasp and looked him over. He struggled to shift his body.  
  
She brought the desert eagle to his head and he coughed. Cora watched him carefully as he worked to speak. Blood poured from his mouth, garbling his words until he coughed up more, spilling it onto his shirt.  
  
"What?" she asked. She'd grant him his last words. Her victims were entitled to it. "Speak, damn you!"  
  
'Impatient... as ever,' he thought, giving her a weak smile. He swallowed some and looked her over. Her eyes were flashing, returning with vibrance just as quickly as it had gone. He made an effort to extend his hand and she allowed him to hold hers. She tightened her finger on the trigger.  
  
"Th-Thanks, Kid."  
  
Cora gasped.  
  
The trigger caved into a piercing burst of sound that echoed throughout the area, setting birds in flight and the crickets into silence. Cora gaped in horror as a shower of crimson washed over her face and shirt, drenching her hands and trousers. Fragments of what was left of Taisuke's left temple glistened like rain as his eyes glazed over and his head dropped down. His hand fell away from hers and he toppled over on his side. The dull effect in her eyes had completely faded, leaving pure jaded eyes to drift over the frame of Taisuke. She staggered back in shock, dropping the handgun. Then she collapsed to her knees.  
  
"What have I done?" she whispered. She hesitantly stretched a hand out toward him but quickly pulled back, covering her mouth with her hands. She watched him a moment with wide eyes and carried on in disbelief. "I-I killed Tai! Oh my God! no no no NO!"  
  
She held her middle with one hand and held her mouth with the other. That certain queasy feeling was taking hold of her. She turned to the side and began to convulse with wretched, heart-wrenching sounds. She crawled to her feet and wiped her mouth. The tears were pooling in her eyes, the sniffles and sobs were clouding her, robbing her of life as she watched his blood-covered frame slump against the ground, and the opposing force were even closer than before. She could now hear their voices.  
  
She grabbed up her weapon and stumbled back, the blinding tears consuming the image of Taisuke in a blur. He was dead. Gone. And she was now alone to face off against Mekatou. She angrily wiped the tears away and started in the other direction.  
  
Her feet weren't going as fast as she wanted them to, but she was well off, away from the body of Taisuke. By this time, the troops probably had already found Taisuke, tagged him, and was already hauling him off to the site. Holding herself for much-needed comfort, she whimpered against the dark, watching warily of her surroundings. The bloodstains were dry against her clothing and was now taking on a brownish-orange color against her white training-T. The dark patterns were barely visible within her dark mud-colored trousers. The blood on her arm was flowing, but not as much as it had done when the bullet tore through her flesh. She managed to strip her shirt and secure the wound with it.  
  
"Th-Thanks, Kid." Cora turned away from the voice. Tai's voice, replaying in her head. Her breathing quickened and became shaky. Her vision soon clouded as well. "Tai...."  
  
"If you love me, you'll turn away. You'll leave this place and never look back!" Cora covered her mouth and muffled a sob. She wiped away at the tears and trudged forward, trying to keep her composure. She pushed past another tree. "Leave... never look back."  
  
"You're dreams, Core. That's what matters. That's what matters to me." Cora bursts into tears, hugging her middle as she pushed past another tree. Upon the next, she fell against it and slid down to sit and placed her hands against her head. The sobs were uncontrollable and they continued despite her efforts to conceal them. "You were my damn dreams, Tai! It was... you."  
  
"I'm sorry, Core." Cora scowled, pushing stray bangs from her eyes. She raised her eyes to the stars.  
  
"You're sorry?!" she screamed, wiping angrily away at her eyes. "You're not sorry, You little fuck! You said you fucking loved me!"  
  
"You... You were never sorry. Tai. Taisuke." Cora sunk back down, holding her middle as she sobbed. She raised a hand to her face and shielded her teary eyes. Something shiny caught her attention. And in her grasp, something heavy dangled. Her eyes glanced down on the Desert Eagle and her mind began contemplating whether she should end it now or later. She watched the trigger and the index she had resting against it. All she had to do was point and shoot.  
  
"I could... I could end it here." she whispered. "Right, Tai? You chose the easy way, shouldn't I?" She looked over the weapon in hand with a desired yet, crazed interest and somewhat of a small grin. She passed her fingertips along the metal, taking in it's texture with a light stroke of her hand. Then she placed the cold metal to her right temple, shutting her eyes.  
  
She sighed.  
  
"one..." she whispered, tightening her grip on the handgun. "Two..." she steadied her index against the trigger. "Thre--"  
  
"Hold it!"  
  
Cora opened her eyes and found that she was surrounded. Mekatou's search party had assessed her position and all were armed. Infrared beams danced along her body and each weapon-wielder had her in his scope. The leading commander of the troop stepped forward cautiously.  
  
"State your name! Are you Cora Akira Hitoshao?"  
  
Cora blinked and a set of tears crept down her cheek. She watched the men. The gun was still at her head and her hand was trembling. Still, she didn't answer.  
  
"Drop you're weapon. Slowly." The commanding officer raised his aim on her and the others followed suit. Cora bit her lower lip and shook her head at the men. They didn't know how much pain she was in. All they knew were to follow orders. Kill or capture. One was already dead. They'd capture the other. But she wasn't ready to go back. She was never going back. Taisuke said not to.  
  
"I... I can't." Cora whispered. She sniffled, cocking back the hammer. "I'm sorry... so sorry."  
  
"CORA!"_  
  
Cora gasped as she sat up in bed. She cringed and arched forward, drawing a hand to her head. She inhaled gently to suppress her heart which slammed against her chest. Sweat had consumed her copper-toned hair, her sheets, and was shifting smoothly down into her shirt.  
  
The rustling crackle of lightning temporarily lit her dark bedroom as the thunder and rain addressed her windows. Her mind remained clouded as her eyes worked to recognize the objects within her room. Obscure objects were fading into the silhouette of wooden drawers and desks, picture frames mounted on the wall thus became visible. And even the lamp to her near-right was accessible. She reached for the drawstring and pulled it, turning on the light.  
  
A nerve in her brain pulsated and she cringed, arching forward. She brought a hand to her head and grazed her hair. Her eyes had not yet adjusted to the bright light.  
  
"...Thought the drugs would have ended those damn nightmares." she muttered, feeling around on the night-table for her glass of water and bottle of pills. "Now I have a fuckin' headache."  
  
"Good. You're awake." Cora looked up. A sixty-four year old woman walked in with a tray. A woman who attended to her every need. Cora dropped her eyes to the floor and rubbed her arm.  
  
"What time is it?" she muttered, refraining from looking to the older woman. Grace set the tray down on the night table beside the lamp and moved to refill the glass of water. She passed Cora a small smile and stirred the bowl of soup on the tray.  
  
"Almost Five-thirty."  
  
Cora groaned and dropped back against her pillows, shutting her eyes. Grace pursed her lips and shook her head. She reached over and pulled Cora up by her arms.  
  
"Now now, Ms. Hitoshao. You can't go back to sleep. You have to go down to the basement to work out. You made the schedule and I'll help you follow it."  
  
"One more hour, Grace. I'll pay you an extra grand for it." Cora pulled away and fell back against the bed again, pulling a pillow over her face. Grace shook her head again and pulled the pillow from over Cora.  
  
"No! Now! Up up up!! No time for sleeping!" Grace took hold of Cora's legs and pulled her out of bed until she hit the hardwood floor with a thud. Cora sat up holding her head.  
  
"Ow! Do that again and--" Grace narrowed her eyes. "Okay! Okay, I'm up!"  
  
"Good." she extended a hand to Cora and pulled her to her feet. "Hold up your arms." Cora rolled her eyes and pulled her hands into the air. Grace pulled her night shirt over her head and replaced it with a tank top. "Down." Cora dropped her arms. "You had a few calls today. One particularly from a Ms. Amara--Pants."  
  
Cora stepped out of her pajama pants and handed them over. Grace folded it onto her arm and reached over to the ironing board to claim the baggy sweat pants. Cora stepped in and shimmied into them. She went to tie the draw strings but Grace swatted her hands away and tied it for her.  
  
"You know, I am old enough to dress myself."  
  
"That's what my husband used to say. Now look at him. He's in an oak-wood box wearing a teal tuxedo." Grace patted her on the shoulder and shook her head.  
  
"That's not funny."  
  
"It should be."

"What did Amara want, anyway?"

"She said she'd be coming over today for a session or two."

"When?"

"Now."

"Now?! It's Five-Thirty! Did you tell her no?"

"She wouldn't let me. She insisted that she come over." Grace grabbed up the nightwear in one hand and started for the door. Cora followed after.

"Great. A nightmare _and _a broad to worsen the day."

"Don't forget your soup. I wouldn't want you to fall out because of an empty stomach." Cora paused in the doorway and looked back on the tray of soup. She turned around and walked back toward the table, grabbing the tray.  
  
------  
1st Chapter Complete! RR!


End file.
